A school place for every child in Shropshire is an entitlement and is regarded as universal provision.

Shropshire is an inclusive authority and every mainstream school is resourced to support most children with special educational needs, which means that for the majority of children with SEN, including those supported with an education health and care plan (EHCP), the local school will be able to meet identified needs.

Teachers are trained to differentiate the curriculum, which means teaching the same subject at different levels to children of different abilities and needs.

All schools have a special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) who usually has additional qualifications in special educational needs and/or substantial experience. Most schools also have pastoral workers who can offer additional support, especially around a child or young person’s social, emotional and mental health needs.

You should expect the same level of support for your child at every school across Shropshire.

Getting the right support in school or college is very important for all children and young people so that they can prepare for their life as an adult. Preparing for adulthood (PFA) outcomes support children and young people with SEND from the earliest years to have equal life chances across the four areas of:

• Education and employment
• Independent living
• Friendships, relationships and community inclusion
• Maintaining good health

For children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) this will mean that they will need more help than others while they are in school or college. Mainstream early years providers, schools and colleges will be able to adapt their practice and provide targeted intervention so that most children and young people with SEND can achieve their potential.

If you think your child would benefit from further assessment or targeted support from an outside agency contact the school SENCo for further discussion. In Shropshire we have one integrated, holistic 'Graduated Pathway of Early Help and Support' for schools to follow to ensure that the most appropriate support can be put in place for each child to meet their individual needs and family circumstances.

Some children and young people will require more specialist help and support and may require an EHCP in order to access a mainstream setting. For a small number of children, a mainstream setting might not be the most appropriate placement to meet their special educational needs, and a more specialist placement will be required.